Welcome to Conversations with New Zealand Photographers. I’m Andy Spain, a photographer from Wellington Aotearoa / New Zealand. I work with architects and others in that area photographing completed projects in the urban environment.
I’m Still buzzing from meeting so many interesting people over the last week at photobook NZ and the Tracy Moffat talk as part of the Peter Turner memorial lecture at Te Papa. Thanks so much for the good folk at Massey and Photoforum who work so hard putting it together.
Today I'm delighted to be joined by photographer Freya Copeland. Freya is based in Valencia but is originally from New Zealand after moving here from the UK in here toddler years.
She came here as part of a trip home to see family and to come to the Photobook NZ events in Wellington where she sold the books she makes (some of whom are authored by her) as part of her role as the joint owner of Replika Publishing.
Her work is very much about dislocation and finding a place in the world, some of which has involved the trauma of being stuck in some devastating floods in Valencia which resulted in her book Fang. It’s a horrific re-telling of her inner most fears whilst waiting for the water to sweep her away and watching others who ultimately weren’t as fortunate as her. She is as much a bookmaker as a photographer and creates stunning handcrafted tactile works to hold the imagery she takes. She loves playing with analogue processes and printing, as likely to use coffee to develop as a chemical developer. She likes to experiment and play with her images and books.
You can see Freya’s work at replikapublishing.org and her own website freyacopeland.com
So grab a coffee, settle in, and please enjoy my conversation with Freya Copeland.
Thanks
Andy Spain
Architectural Photogrpahy